THERE were tears, laughter and dancing in the seats during the opening night of Footloose The Musical at Torquay’s Princess Theatre this week, writes Kate Cotton.

Having only seen the film starring Kevin Bacon many years ago, I’d no idea what to expect from the stage adaptation. I was very pleasantly surprised.

The energy and pace of the talented cast was mesmerising and a joy to watch. With no band on stage, bar a drummer, the multi-instrumentalist actors sang and danced to hit after hit.

And those hits were superb, including Holding out for a Hero, Let’s Hear it for the Boy and Almost Paradise.

By the finale of the famous Footloose theme tune the audience was on its feet dancing, me and my mum included.

The small town Bomont friendships and romantic liaisons were believable and very cute, especially between the zany Rusty and adorable Willard, played by former 911 boy band member Lee Brennan. Lee stole the show with a wonderfully comically awkward supporting role.

Luke Baker’s lead character Ren, and his romance with the reverend’s daughter Ariel, was also a delight to watch unfurl on the stage. As was Ren’s turmoil as he dealt with his father’s abandonment and moving from Chicago to backwater Bomont, and Ariel’s attempts to make sense of her brother’s death.

The backstory of Reverend Shaw’s kneejerk decision to ban dancing in the town after his son died in a car accident returning from a party was sensitively and poignantly portrayed by Nigel Lister and Maureen Nolan as his wife Vi (right). Their coming to terms, and allowing joy and dancing back to the town, added to the feelgood nature of the show.

Footloose runs until Saturday matinee performance. So go ‘kick-off your Sunday shoes and cut loose’ – you won’t regret it.